Close Calls - Week 2
By Joe Nelson
VegasInsider.com
Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in Week 2 of the NFL regular season.
Tennessee Titans (-1) 37, Jacksonville Jaguars 16 (41½): Those on the ‘under’ had to feel good with a 6-3 score at halftime in this AFC South battle. Halfway through the third quarter it was only 9-3, but a big punt return sparked the Titans. On a short field, Tennessee scored seven with the first touchdown of the game and added another touchdown just a few minutes later again starting with great field position. The road favorite cover looked safe with a 23-3 edge entering the fourth quarter, but the total trajectory shifted dramatically with four straight touchdown drives exchanged between these teams, pushing the game ‘over’ rather easily with 27 fourth quarter points.
Carolina Panthers (-6½) 9, Buffalo Bills 3 (43½): The Bills managed to stay in this game with the defense getting big third down stops to force a pair of first half field goals from the Panthers. Coming out of halftime, the Bills gained 30 yards for by far their most productive drive to that point and opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 just past midfield. That failure helped confirm the clear ‘under’ pace and five more punts followed before Buffalo managed a field goal to climb within three. With a line that fell Sunday morning down to as low as +6, Buffalo backers had to sweat out the Panthers reaching 1st-and-goal from the Buffalo 1-yard-line with about four minutes remaining. The Bills held Carolina to another field goal to remain just within the common spread and actually had a good shot at the upset with a nearly completed pass just outside the end zone on fourth down in the final seconds.
New England Patriots (-6) 36, New Orleans Saints 20 (55): The Patriots scored 20 points in the first quarter and the road favorite cover was never seriously threatened in this game. The total result was mixed with a number that was as high as 57 most of the week before a late dive on Sunday morning to close at 55. With 43 points at halftime, it didn’t appear that the number would matter but only three points were scored in the third quarter and the Patriots settled for another very short field goal in the fourth quarter after an 80-yard drive. New Orleans converted a big fourth down play on their next possession and eventually found the end zone to put the total score at 56 with about five minutes remaining. With a failed onside kick, the Patriots started in great field position, but wound up going backwards with penalties and faced 4th-and-25 from the New Orleans 35-yard line after reaching the 18-yard-line at the two-minute-warning. New England punted and the Saints ran out of time despite gaining 61 yards on their final possession.
Kansas City Chiefs (-4) 27, Philadelphia Eagles 20 (46½): After missing a field goal to tie the game at halftime, Philadelphia took the lead late in the third quarter with an 81-yard touchdown drive. Kansas City answered but early in the final frame, the Eagles hit a field goal for a 13-13 tie with an underdog spread that was as high as +6 for Philadelphia. After forcing a 3-and-out, the Eagles had the ball back but Carson Wentz threw a costly interception to hand the Chiefs a short field and five plays later Kansas City was up by seven. Philadelphia had to punt with about five minutes remaining in the game and a strong return put Kansas City near midfield and the Chiefs delivered another touchdown for a second straight big fourth quarter. The Eagles would wind up scoring a touchdown with eight seconds to go that shifted the total for result for some and actually retrieved the onside kick to have a final throw to the end zone that deflected out of bounds.
Miami Dolphins (+3½) 19, Los Angeles Chargers 17 (46½): The Chargers led 10-3 at the half and 17-10 late in the third quarter, while still sitting past the slight favorite spread entering the fourth quarter after a short Miami field goal. The kicking game would prove critical in the fourth quarter as Cody Parkey hit from 35 yards and then after the Dolphins took advantage of a lousy punt, he hit again from 54 yards to give Miami the lead with just over a minute remaining. The favorite cover needed a touchdown, but Philip Rivers guided the Chargers into field goal range. Unfortunately for the Chargers for the second straight week, kicker Younghoe Koo missed late as Miami escaped with the win.
Washington Redskins (+3) 27, Los Angeles Rams 20 (46½): Washington led 20-10 at the half after a 61-yard Chris Thompson run, but the Rams struck for a 93-yard touchdown drive and then watched Washington miss a field goal to remain down by just three, with a touchdown capable of flipping the spread result. After trading punts, the Rams reached the Washington 5-yard line, but an offensive pass interference call wiped out the play and Los Angeles had to settle for a tying field goal. Those on a total that never quite reached 47 also watched with interest in the final minutes, but Washington only faced one third down on a 70-yard 10-play touchdown drive to take the lead shortly after the two-minute-warning. Jared Goff was intercepted on first down to quickly end any threat of overtime.
Atlanta Falcons (-3) 34, Green Bay Packers 23 (54½): The Sunday night rematch of the NFC Championship proved similar to the game last January as the Falcons had complete control by halftime with a 24-7 lead. Early in the third quarter, a controversial horizontal pass fumble return touchdown for the Falcons withstood replay review to make the score 31-7. After an exchange of field goals, it was 34-10 through three quarters, with the home favorite cover all but locked up. One of the highest totals of the week still needed two touchdowns and Green Bay delivered in that regard with back-to-back strikes to push the game ‘over’ with fewer than six minutes remaining. The Packers got the ball back with no timeouts and just a minute remaining but anyone hoping for a miracle push with a touchdown and a two-point conversion left disappointed as the Packers didn’t even cross midfield.
Detroit Lions (+3) 24, New York Giants 10 (42½): The Lions took control early and put the game away with a punt return touchdown early in the fourth quarter to lead by 14. The total was just eight points short with still 12 minutes remaining and those on the ‘under’ had to survive the Giants twice failing on fourth downs, once near midfield and the second time in field goal range with still more than four minutes remaining. Detroit also opted to go for it on fourth down in the final minute from the New York 24-yard line rather than adding points.